The extra-deep sills of the first-floor window become a bench on the outside and a shelf on the inside.

Two Oakland, CA designers transformed a 100-year-old barn into a small and cozy 400 square-foot home. How'd they do it? As they say, "The only way we can live in 400 square feet is because we thought out each detail and tried to make every space usable when we were designing the renovation. Everything is built in so there’s nothing jutting out into any rooms…"

..."We have an inset bookshelf along the stairs with the exact space for our photo albums, cookbooks, and favorite architecture and garden books. We made the window ledges extra deep so we can put our keys and wallets somewhere when we come home. We also have to keep it really clean."